Unfiltered Reflections: My Journey with Social Media and Its Impact on My Mental Health

As a 20-year-old young woman who grew up while social media was becoming more and more popular, I have experienced so many things that would not be possible without it. I have talked a little bit about it here and there in my previous posts, but I wanted to make a post where I could be as vulnerable as possible and share all of my experiences, both good and bad. 

I remember when I got my first phone and my parents finally let me have my first social media accounts. It was such an exciting day for me and I remember thinking that I was finally an adult (even though I was only 13 years old.) Since that first day, Instagram and Snapchat have been a part of my everyday life as I have used them as a form of communication for as long as I can remember. It has allowed me to stay connected to people that I have met at all different points in my life and continue to grow my relationships with them which I will forever be grateful for. Growing up, I was able to stay in touch with people I would meet on vacation, or at summer camps, and now that I am in college, I am able to still talk to all of my best friends that I grew up with, and I cannot imagine how much harder it would have been if I did not have access to this type of communication. Additionally, I have also had my own experiences where social media has provided me a sense of support and community to help me through hard times. When I was a senior in high school, my father passed away from cancer. This was the hardest thing I have ever had to go through and I remember thinking that there was just no way I would be able to get through it. After he passed, I isolated myself from everyone so that I had time to grieve alone. I decided to post a tribute photo of him and my time with him on my Instagram account, and after feeling so depressed and upset by myself for so long, once I saw all of the support I got from all of my friends and even people I had only met a couple of times but followed me online, I remember feeling so emotional that so many people were willing to comment and reach out to me making sure I was okay and letting me know how much they loved my dad. This made me very grateful to have that space to express my emotions and show what I was going through. A couple of people who had also lost a father reached out to me to let me know that I am not alone and can always talk to them if I needed to. Therefore, even though social media can sometimes be detrimental, it can be a beautiful space for people to come together and provide love and support to those who need it. 

With all of that being said, I firmly believe that everything should be in moderation, and if you feel that social media is causing more harm than good, to take a break and focus on reconnecting with the world and those around you.

Can you think of a moment like this where you found comfort from people reaching out to you because of something you posted online?